Introduction to radio: blog tasks

BBC Sounds

Read this Guardian feature on the launch of BBC Sounds and answer the following questions:

1) Why does the article suggest that ‘on the face of it, BBC Radio is in rude health’?It has half the national market, with dozens of stations reaching more than 34 million people a week. Radio 2 alone reaches 15 million listeners a week.


2) What percentage of under-35s use the BBC iPlayer catch-up radio app?

 3% of under-35s use the iPlayer catch-up radio app, which will soon be axed.

3) What is BBC Sounds?
A new app and website that  brings together radio live streams, catch up services, music mixes and podcasts together under one roof.

4) How do audiences listen to radio content in the digital age?

Personalised recommendations will push listeners towards content they would not necessarily have listened to – a Radio 3 documentary or a specially commissioned podcast.


5) What does Jason Phipps suggest is important for radio and podcast content aimed at younger audiences?

He says there is a need to reconsider the entire tone of how the BBC tells stories, shifting away from rigid formality if it wants to attract the precious under-35 audience: “It has to be a warmer, more story-led journey. You need to report the very personal experience of it.

 BBC Sounds listeners will get personalised recommendations. Photograph: BBC

“The very best stories are fundamentally anchored around the personal experience. You’re trying to find the human in the machine. 

6) Why does the BBC need to stay relevant?
The BBC has to flourish in spaces where it can have a greater public value than market impact. Which means it needs to stay relevant if it wants a diversity in audience.

Now read this review of the BBC Sounds app.

7) What content does the BBC Sounds app offer?
BBC Sounds for anything audio (apart from long-form audio books). Music, news, drama, documentaries, true crime, comedy and the app lets you click through to any live BBC radio station, but it also offers you other forms of listening, from podcasts to playlists.


8) How does it link to BBC Radio?
This links to the BBC radio as the BBC also provide these things for entertainment for their listeners.


9) What are the criticisms of the BBC Sounds app?

• Not having enough content for audiences.
• The information is tricky to access and the searches that are sometimes typed the content may not correlate.
• The audio programmes are better but offers less shows.

10) Two new podcasts were launched alongside the BBC Sounds app. What are they and why might they appeal to younger audiences?

•  5 Live Waco series End of Days which has a grippling tale and talks about the Waco cult victims were from the UK, mostly recruited from the Seventh-Day Adventist church. End of Days talks to their families and friends.  
• Beyond today: attempt to mimic the New york's times  successful daily programme which talks about current issues.

ShoutOut Network

Read this Huffington Post feature on the Shout Out Network and answer the following questions:

1) What is the ShoutOut Network?

The shoutout network, a London-based network of diverse podcasts, has put together a fantastic offer for businesses to purchase advertising slots across a range of their podcasts for three months from just £1.

2) What podcasts are offered by the ShoutOut Network?

pop-culture literature podcast Mostly Lit, carefree comedy duo Two Fools Talking, theatre and music aficionados Artistic State of Mind and brand new football show Top 4mation.

The network has also produced a serial history podcast Unarchived History that documents the history of London and soon other key areas of the United Kingdom.

3) What audience do they reach?
The audience reach is 20,000 listeners per month, of which 92% are from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.

4) What are the 2015 statistics on podcast listening in the UK?
3.7 million adults listen to podcasts which equate to around 6.5% of the adult population.

5) The article suggests podcasts are ‘picking up more steam’. Do you think podcasts the future of radio?
Opportunity to reach such huge audiences, it could be a better direction for businesses in the UK to go to expand their reach. They may be the future of radio as more young people are interested and keeps a wide range of audiences interested and not just a niche audience. There are things for everyone to listen who are applicable to a range of audiences.